The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-07

him TO put us ashore wherever STAN
dish should say. We beat up the coast
and lay to off the gold beach. Heavy
breakers and savage rocks, water worn
into every imaginable shape, forbade
our running in close. A boat was low
cred and the captain called for volun-
teers, from his crew. Three brave
seamen stepped forward. my orders
are to land my passengers" said the
captain. THAT seas no mill pond.
The boat won't carry more'n three
landsmcn. Who's for the first trIpP"
We hastily drew lots. Standish and
/ were left out. i begged Harry to let
me 60 in his place, but he pressed my
hand and scrambled over the side.
Standish and stood on either side of
the captain, as he watched the boat
with the help of his glass, and reported
to us. After several attempts to land
had been made, rs only good boatmen
could make them, the boat, we sup
posed, struck one of the treacherous
currents, became unmanageable. and
capsized. Had all the gold in the
world been before me, ii would have
seemed as nothing when my only
brother was struggling in that boiling
surf that would in all probability be
his grave. How could / write the It'd
ings home? Standish and l held a
short consultation with the captain.
Cant send in another boat" said he;
I'm short-handed enough now.
Trinidad's the highest landing any
salt water sailor'd try to make" He
handed his glass to me and began to
give orders. Hooked, in the forlorn
hope that might distinguish some
thing of boat, crew or passengers, but
had either been visible ut all. it must
have been to more practiced eye
than mine. raised the glass To COM
mand the top of a high bluff n little
north of where the boatmcn had tried
to land. There, clearly outlined
against the sky, was a moving figure.
Captain! what's that?" / cried.
Isn't it possible some of those poor
fellows have got out alive"
NOulNtu L IluNt LndJ Dluu,
he answered. taking the glass and
sweeping the shore "alow and aloft. "
After Il moment the glass came to a
rest, then slowly lowered as if some
object was being kept in focus. lived
years in seconds then.
Must be q redskin," the captain
muttcred. Cant drown a redskin;
one " their eggshells II live in break
ers that'd stavc the Staunchest boat
that's ever built. Thought I'd made
it right" and he again handed his
glass to me.
could clearly discern an object, ris-
ing and falling on the water, and |
though taking an irregular course,
gradually nearing the cutter. Nearer
still it came. and we thought we could |
see something that looked like a man,
half lying, half sitting. in the canoe
that was padded by one Indian.
Canoe ahoy!" shouted the cap
tain. What's aboard?"
The Indian made no answer, but |
padded slowly on.
"Stand by for rope" the captain
shouted.
A rope, shot ont over our heads, was
deXterously caught by the Indian, and
the canoe was drawn through the COM
smooth water. One of the
sailors lowered q boat-hoOk till it al
most touched the bottom Of the little |
craft With the help of the hook and
of strong hands my brother Harry half
was half lifted, on to the cut
tcr's deck.
OF the six men who went in the
boat, he was the only one saved, and
he had been drawn out of the surf,
when he was past helping himself, by
the friendly Indian.
Taking the Indian on board and his
canoe in tow, we sailed for Trinidad.
In the morning Standsh and /. with
the Indian, started for the gold beach,
tools for gathering and bags
for holding the gold. We reached the
beach. 1t was the place we had seen
a few days before glittcring with the
precious metal. We could not be mis-
taken; exhausted as we were, we had
taken our bearings. But
there was nothing there but sand!
Black sand!
"What fools we have been." said
Standish. 1.-The very same force that
brought the gold IN has carried it out
again, and left only the sand, such as
we might walk on for miles"
Our feet made heavy by disappoint-
n. |